A firearm (or gun) is a portable barreled weapon that uses explosive powder (gun powder) to propel a metal (usually lead) projectile (bullet) towards a target. Firearms include, for example pistols, shotguns, and rifles. The conventional practice for assembling a high-accuracy rifle is to employ the services of a gunsmith to create a “conformal fit” between the cylindrical outside surface of the body of the rifle action (the receiver) and the generally concave cavity of a corresponding rifle stock. The creation of a conformal fit between the rifle action and the rifle stock is a laborious process, which process is believed necessary in order to establish a near perfect match between the respective mating geometries. In other words, a uniform and near perfect match between the mating geometries of the cylindrical rifle action and the generally semi-cylindrical cavity of the rifle stock is believed to be advantageous.
In firearms terminology, an “action” (or receiver) is the physical mechanism (usually symmetrical) that manipulates cartridges and/or seals the breech. This term may also be used to describe the method by which cartridges are loaded, locked, and extracted from the mechanism. A “cartridge” is the cylindrical housing that holds the gun powder behind the bullet and, after loading, is positioned within the action. As is appreciated by those skilled in the art, gun actions are generally categorized by the type of mechanism used. Many modern mass produced firearms are breech-loading.
The gun barrel is a tube from which the bullet is projected. The gun barrel is generally integrally connected to the action along a central axis. After firing, the pressure of gases projecting a rifle bullet out of the barrel can reach about 50,000 pounds per square inch (3,333 bar) and temperatures of about 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit (2,200° C.). These high pressures and temperatures rise and fall during the few milliseconds (thousandths of seconds) it takes for the bullet to travel through the action and out of the barrel. In combination, these forces momentarily alter the geometries of the action and the barrel. Pistol and shotgun rounds generally operate at considerably lower pressures than rifle rounds (approximately one third). Regardless of the type of gun, the forces (horizontal and lateral) imparted to the gun barrel, gun action, and gunstock during a firing event are generally symmetrical about the central axis and its vertical plane (due, in part, to recoil forces in the vertical plane).
Although firearm technology and manufacturing processes have advanced over the years, there is still a need in the art for new and improved types of mass producible gun assemblies—gun assemblies that have improved reliability and accuracy, as well as to related methods and unassembled kits for making the same. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides for further related advantages.